A stacking machine for making a stack or stacks of adjacent disk-like workpieces, especially metal covers, can comprise a conveyor trough, on which the workpieces move in a column in the longitudinal direction of the column. The successive stacks are separated by a feed mechanism forming a gap between each of the stacks and the following workpieces and the stacks are further conveyed until they arrive at an unloading station.
A stacking machine is often required as a part of a manufacturing operation for metal covers for food cans and/or beverage cans, which is a part of a longer production line. It has a feed mechanism and a counting mechanism for the covers. It may form stacks which have the same number of covers in each stack. Subsequently each stack may be provided with a jacket and/or label in a packing machine.
The division of a single column of workpieces into the individual stacks and their conveying in the conveyor trough may also be required for processing of the workpieces, e.g. can covers, so that a certain predetermined number of workpieces is fed for further processing.
To help keep the stacks separate in further processing on this conveyor trough, they may be exposed to the action of a feed mechanism guided or located along the conveyor trough.